


A Christmas Wish (All I want for Christmas)

by okeydokey (LilMissNerdfighter)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: About as plot light as it gets, Arthur is a few centuries late, Christmas, Christmas Wishes, Fluff, It's all very sudden, M/M, Merlin is still alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-09
Updated: 2013-12-09
Packaged: 2018-01-04 04:55:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1076773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilMissNerdfighter/pseuds/okeydokey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At twenty-five, Merlin realises he's probably getting a bit old to be relying on Santa to grant him wishes. However, he is giving Santa one last chance before he gives up entirely. Maybe this year Merlin won't spend Christmas alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Christmas Wish (All I want for Christmas)

Merlin screwed his eyes up tight, feeling a little bit foolish. He was twenty-five; he knew he shouldn't spend his Christmas Eve's waiting for Santa to come on his sleigh with the one thing he desperately wanted. He had long since accepted that the blue bike when he was seven had come from his mum and that maybe it was impossible that one man could get round the whole world in one night. But he needed his wish. So, at the stroke of midnight, Merlin made his wish.

'Please, please, please.' He begged, pressing his head into the foot of his bed, ignoring the numbness in his knees. 'Please, Santa. I just need one more miracle.' He had tried everything, and this was his last resort. After this year, he was giving up. No more futile spells or potions or trips to distant countries in search of curse-breakers. No more wishes on candles or 11:11 or shooting stars. He would grow up. But for tonight he could dream. Merlin sighed wistfully, before rising from his knees and climbing into his cold bed. Merry Christmas, Merlin, he told himself before slipping into a fitful sleep.

When Merlin awoke the next morning, he noted the faint glow of fading magic. He opened his eyes, letting his eyes adjust to the early morning light. There were no Christmas presents in sight-at least none other than the ones from his secret Santa at work. Merlin sighed sadly, trying to bite back the disappointment of another missed chance. Maybe he hadn’t been good enough, had let too many people die and hadn't saved enough. Or maybe Santa didn't exist or care. Either way, it hardly mattered. Arthur wasn't home and it seemed Merlin was spending yet another Christmas alone.

He shuffled himself backwards towards the radiator lined wall of his room. It usually had begun to heat up by this time, and he supposed it would have to provide him some kind of comfort in the next few hours. He had no-one this time: Gwen and Will Morgana and Mordred and Gwaine and Leon and Percival and Lance hadn't returned, or at the very least he hadn’t found them. Hunith had died three years before in a freak accident. The cat was barely around. Still, at least the radiator would keep him warm. Sleep was his only option; even the nightmares would pass the time.

As he wriggled backwards, the wall moulded to fit around his back. Merlin wrinkled his nose in momentary confusion, before deciding that his magic was doing its best to cheer him up. It was always doing odd things; making him breakfast in bed and cleaning the bathroom when his back was turned. Shaping around him was possibly the oddest occurrence yet, but it was quite a pleasant sensation once Merlin had adjusted. He pressed his head into his pillow, letting the warmth engulf him. He waited for sleep to reclaim him, but it didn't. Not this time.

The minutes ticked past, and he stared at the ceiling. The tap in the bathroom began to drip and his neighbour’s floorboards creaked above him. Merlin groaned as sleep was chased further from his mind with each passing breath.

'Please, it's Christmas.' He pleaded with whatever cruel being kept him from sleep. Christmas was a time for family and friends and, if he was honest, Merlin had neither.

The silence shook slightly as his words tried to find their place in it. Then, as if it was the next logical step, someone else's words followed, a familiar voice tinged with groggy amusement.

'Christmas, my arse. If it was Christmas, you'd shut up.' Merlin froze, as the wall pressed a small kiss to his neck. He rolled over in one rapid movement, quite prepared to smash the wall if it got any more... forward.  
Immediately he was confronted with two impossibly blue eyes, and a shock of mussed blond hair got caught in his mouth. Merlin's nose collided with the welcome intruder's forehead, forcing an involuntary laugh out of him.

'Dammit, Merlin.' Arthur growled playfully. 'You’re so clumsy.'

'Bugger off,' Merlin replied, doing his best to hide his shocked delight. It worked! His wish had actually worked! Merlin mentally did a victory dance, only allowing a fraction of his joy to invade his words. 'What took you so long?'

Arthur considered the question for a little while, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration. Merlin took the time to gape at his unchanged form and pinch both their hands in turn to check that neither of them were dreaming. After finally coming to an answer he seemed to decide wouldn't get him coal in his stocking and a clobber round the head, Arthur’s small smile spread into a smirk.

'Had to wait for the law to change,’ Arthur informed him cheerfully

'Which law?' Merlin asked curiously. Arthur's eyes sparkled and Merlin bit his lip. 'Is it the one about legalising the murder of manservants?'

'No...' Arthur grinned, 'Look in your stocking.'

'But that means having to get out of bed,' Merlin moaned, snuggling back into Arthur's embrace.

'It'll be worth it!' Arthur promised.

'Arthur…’

Arthur fixed Merlin with an unflinching stare until Merlin became so uncomfortable and yet curious that he had to move.

‘I hate you,' Merlin solemnly informed Arthur, unwillingly crawling out of bed and over to his stocking. He fished around in the toe of the almost empty sock, ignoring Arthur's gleeful chuckles.

'A bit to the left,' hinted Arthur.

'Shut up, you.' Merlin finally scooped the tiny wrapped box into his fingers, laughing at the tiny lions on the gift. The solid box fit neatly into his palm, and was cool under the wrapping paper.

'Now get back here,' Arthur demanded. Merlin obliged, returning to him and pressing a quick kiss on his lips. 'I missed you.'

'You too,' Merlin admitted unashamedly. He had spent too long in denial and if you couldn’t admit this sort of thing at Christmas, then when could you?

'Now open it!!' Arthur insisted.

Merlin shook his head in disbelief. 'Don’t be so bossy!'

'You love me really,' Arthur grinned.

'No, I really don't.' Merlin shook his head almost violently, trying to suppress the wide smile that had been plastered on his face since Arthur fucking Pendragon had decided to grace the Earth with his oh-so-important-presence. Merlin shook the box once and then once again when he noticed Arthur grimacing. 'Give us a clue?'

'JUST OPEN IT ALREADY!' Arthur was practically jumping up and down in anticipation. Merlin raised his eyebrow in an eerily Gaius like fashion and Arthur hastily tacked on a 'please' to the end.  
Merlin carefully tore the paper off the box, and just as he was about to open it, Arthur threw himself off the bed and onto the floor. 'Are you okay?' Merlin asked, wondering if Arthur’s return had given him brain damage.

'What? Yeah, I'm fine. Open the damn box!' Arthur demanded, sitting on his knees. Merlin eyed Arthur suspiciously before edging the box lid open. It clicked back on its hinges with a satisfying click. Merlin could see Arthur performing some kind of acrobatics from the corner of his eye but was suddenly completely transfixed by the gift.

'Bloody hell,' Merlin gaped. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he offered Arthur his most unimpressed expression. In the box was a fake gold ring with a plastic green gem. 'Wow, thanks ever so much, Arthur?'

Arthur, meanwhile, was in hysterics, rolling around on the floor clutching his stomach. Merlin watched him continue in this fashion for a few minutes, before pulling his duvet over his head and retreating back into bed.

After an eternity, Arthur composed himself enough to speak. 'Merlin?'

'Go away,' Merlin growled into the pillow. He wasn't sure why he was so disappointed. Arthur had literally come back from the dead less than two hours before, so why was he so upset by a joke present? Arthur was, after all, his King and completely foreign to this time. They hadn't seen each other for hundreds of years. And yet the lump in his throat refused to disappear and the malice in his voice wasn't completely false.

‘Please Merlin, I'm sorry.' Merlin peeked his head through the quilt and found that Arthur was still on the floor, and had picked up the ring box. But this time, he was on one knee and when he clicked open the box, it revealed a gold band. It was simple, and yet the text embossed on the inside of the band made Merlin's swell. One side of a coin.

'Merlin,' Arthur began nervously. 'I know this is a bit out of the blue, after our um… brief separation? But I really do love you. Most of the time.' Merlin laughed almost hysterically, emerging from underneath the duvet and continued giggling long after Arthur had joined in. 'So,' Arthur continued more confidently. 'How do you feel about getting married?'

'Nah I don't fancy it,' Merlin teased, his almost painful grin returning. When Arthur began to look ever so slightly panicked, Merlin hastily backtracked. 'No? Yes. No- I mean no. Yeah, getting married sounds good.'

Beaming at him, Arthur slid the ring onto Merlin's finger and the whole room seemed to glow with an inescapable gold light. Merlin slid down off the bed to kiss Arthur, properly this time. After the light had begun to dim so they could actually make out each other's features, Merlin broke away, pressing his forehead against Arthur's, shaking with all-consuming laughter.

'What?' asked Arthur, bewildered.

‘How do you feel about getting married? You're so romantic, Arthur!' Merlin cackled, 'It's a good thing I love you!'

Shut up,' Arthur bit back a smile. 'I'd like to see you do better.'

'Next time,' Merlin swore. ‘And I won’t take hundreds of years to get round to it.’

'I'll hold you to that,' Arthur told him with mock solemnity.

'Good.'

Arthur kissed Merlin again and Merlin decided right then that no-one had ever had a better Christmas than him.

'Merry Christmas, Arthur.'

'Merry Christmas, Merlin.'


End file.
